Staff predictions for the 2nd round series against the New York Knicks.
Jeff Clark
The Knicks have some great players and they absolutely have the talent to steal a game or two from the Celtics in this series – in particular if there’s shooting variance in any particular game. However, I’m going to call this shot now. Celtics will get the sweep. Not only is this a horrible matchup for the Knicks, but they are also catching the Celtics right after a series with the Magic that will act like a bat weight does to a hitter in the on deck circle. The Boston offense is going to feel like a weight has been lifted and they are going to knock the cover off the ball. Celtics in 4.
Mark Aboyoun
Although Boston took care of the Knicks in the regular season, I believe the Knicks were built for the postseason. In my opinion, the Knicks are one or two seasons early in their championship window while the Celtics are in the midst of it. I think experience will play a factor with the edge going to Boston. The matchup I look forward to the most is White/Holiday guarding Brunson. We’ve had trouble, at times, guarding bigger body guards and Brunson is one of the best. If Holiday is fit and ready to play that will be a fun matchup to watch. I wouldn’t mind throwing Jaylen Brown at him from time to time either. Should be a fun series, but I have Boston winning in six at MSG.
Ian Inangelo
The Knicks are a great team and showed in their matchup with the Pistons that they can get it done in the postseason on the back of Jalen Brunson. The regular season doesn’t necessarily mean everything when it comes to how they played Boston but the Celtics did sweep them in four regular season games. Tatum also averaged 33.5 PPG against the Knicks this year and is coming off arguably his best playoff series against the Magic so I think he’s going to have another huge series. I’m going to say Celtics in five games just because I think the Knicks don’t have the defenders to keep up with Brown and Tatum and they’re going to have to pick their poison. Either play like Orlando did and force the Celtics off of the three point line but play isolation ball with Brown and Tatum or send a double to the Jays and risk the Celtics raining threes
Jake Issenberg
In the offseason, the New York Knicks attempted to build a team that could challenge the Boston Celtics. Instead, they built a team that the Celtics have thrived against. There is no “blueprint” to beating this iteration of the Boston Celtics, but if you want any hope of beating them, you have to be able to slow down their offense. The New York Knicks cannot do this. The Celtics had a 132.7 offensive rating against the Knicks in their four matchups in the regular season. That would be the best offense in the league’s history, by a wide margin. OG Ananouby is a great defender, but that’s not enough to compensate for the weak links in Karl Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson. On the other end, the Celtics will look to neutralise Towns’ three-point shooting by switching a blend of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Jrue Holiday onto the big man. While forcing Brunson to try and beat them with tough, contested two-point jumpers. The Celtics have more top-end talent and depth, and they are a terrible schematic matchup for the Knicks. Sweeps are hard, though. Celtics in 5.
Jack Anderson
I think the Celtics present a ton of issues for New York. The way they (Tatum) can attack Brunson and Towns is something that has given the Knicks issues all season. Mikal Bridges had issues covering them (again, Tatum) all season. How the Celtics guard Jalen Brunson will be a huge factor in the series as well. Brunson has become Mr. Clutch, reminiscent of Isaiah Thomas being the King of the 4th, he is deadly late in games. Also, preventing Towns threes will be important for Boston, making sure he is taking 2 point shots is something the Celtics have done well this season. With that said, Celtics in 5.
Nirav Barman
There’s no doubt that the Knicks have a very talented team. If I’m being honest, I was a little worried about their ability to rival the Celtics before the season started. That fear has since dissipated, given their inability to beat Boston in the regular season, and their performance against the Detroit Pistons in their first-round matchup. At this point, I’m not sure the Knicks will be able to push this series beyond five games, and that one game they get will likely come from a top-tier performance by them on the same night that we play well below our standards. Having three of your must-play players (Brunson, Hart, and KAT) be mismatched against Boston is not a recipe for success, especially when New York lacks depth. They’ll need some serious offensive explosions to compete. I’m picking Celtics in 5.
Trevor Hass
It feels like these teams have been destined to meet at this stage ever since the Knicks made a significant splash this offseason. New York retooled with the Celtics in mind, knowing it would take way more than what it had to make the Finals. Now, it’s a serious matchup. Well, at least it seemed like one, until the Celtics swept the regular-season series. But don’t let that deceive you. The Celtics should absolutely be favored in this series, and will likely win it, but I’d be surprised if it’s a cakewalk. I expect it to be back and forth, with big-time answers from both sides along the way. Jrue Holiday’s health is a major X-factor, because the Celtics really need him to help slow down Jalen Brunson. I also think Karl-Anthony Towns could be a serious problem for the Celtics. He’s playing inspired basketball and is a matchup nightmare for any team. With that said, I’m confident the Celtics will figure it out, as they almost always do, and find a way to win a highly entertaining and competitive series in six games.
